The present invention relates to a method, an apparatus and a system for ascertaining a position of a vehicle. In particular, it relates to a method and an apparatus for ascertaining a position of a vehicle in surroundings for inductively charging a storage battery of the vehicle, for example a charging point. In addition, it relates to a method, an apparatus and a system for ascertaining a position and for positioning a reception coil, arranged on a vehicle, preferably in relation to a predetermined charging position of the reception coil.
Electrically driven vehicles, for example electric vehicles, store energy for operating an electric motor usually in a storage battery. Such storage batteries can be charged by means of inductive charging, for example. Often, inductive charging systems of this kind are in the form of underfloor systems, wherein an electrically driven vehicle having a reception coil is positioned over a transmission coil having corresponding electronics that is embedded in a floor. The transmission coil is used to induce a current in the reception coil, which current charges the storage battery. The correct orientation of the reception coil relative to the transmission coil can be a significant limiting factor for the efficiency of an inductive charging system of this kind. The transmission coil is usually in a form such that a greatest possible efficiency for inductive charging is obtained when the reception coil is positioned in a predetermined charging position relative to the transmission coil.
WO 2011/114208 A2 describes a method for positioning an electric vehicle and also a corresponding electric vehicle. In this case, a camera records an exterior image of the electric vehicle that is displayed on a screen inside the vehicle. On the basis of the displayed camera image, a driver of the vehicle can orient the electric vehicle by eye.